CONWAY - A hustle play from courtesy runner Jaxson Raney and a gutsy performance from reliever Owen Stover turned out to be the difference Friday night as the Woodlawn Bears held on for a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Palestine-Wheatley Patriots to win the Class 2A State Championship Game before a standing-room only crowd at Bear Stadium on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.
It was Woodlawn's third consecutive state baseball championship and the program's ninth since 2008. The Bears are now 9-3 in state title games.
The ninth title did not come easy for Woodlawn as the Bears struggled to get much going against Patriot sophomore lefty Jacob Hickman. Hickman gave up just two hits over six innings, but he did issue eight walks that turned out to be a key factor in the game. He had seven strikeouts.
Hickman was three pitches from hitting his pitch limit when he finished up the sixth inning.
Woodlawn starter Austin Howard and Hickman battled through three scoreless innings before the Bears were finally able to break through in the bottom of the fourth.
After Woodlawn started the inning with a fly ball for the first out, Dylan Butler and Jase Bishop drew back-to-back walks to put two aboard. Both then advanced on a passed ball go give the Bears their first runner to reach third. Howard, who is also Woodlawn's designated hitter, drew another walk to load the bases. Raney replaced Howard as a courtesy runner at first.
Tate Hall then delivered a fly ball to center, driving it deep enough to allow Butler to tag up for the first run of the game. However, both Bishop and Raney had to hold up at second and first base, respectively.
That's when Dillon Lunsford, batting ninth in the order, delivered what turned out to be the hit of the game.
Lunsford sent the ball high into shallow right centerfield, and it looked as though Palestine-Wheatley was going to be in a position to...
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